Fijian academic Professor Brij Lal has been awarded the Order of Australia. Professor Lal who currently teaches at Australian National University (ANU) was given the award in the Queens's Birthday Honour List. He was recognised for his significant service to education, through the preservation and teaching of Pacific history, as a scholar, author and commentator. Professor Lal who has been banned from returning to Fiji indefinitely applied for re-entry in late March after his case was highlighted by the Opposition in a Parliament sitting. And while Fijian authorities are yet to comment on the status of his application, Professor Lal is confident he will get a chance to return to his country of birth someday. Read more at: http://fijilive.com/news/2015/06/professor-lal-awarded-order-of-australia/61209.Fijilive

Professor Brij Lal has been awarded the Order of Australia.

BAINIMARAMA'S ROME AWARD: There was an award for "COMMITTMENT" but not for "REDUCING MALNOURISHMENT" as claimed by Fiji Sun. POOR REPORTING?

On Thursday June 4th the Fiji Sun ran a front page story "PM off to Rome for Top Award". Maika Bolatiki wrote about how the Food and Agriculture Organisation was to give an award to Fiji for "reducing the prevalence of undernourishment from 6.6% in 1990-1992 to 4.5% in 2014-2016." If you log onto the FAO website Awards | FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations you will see no such award was given to Fiji. Fiji isn't mentioned on the list of recipient countries. Solomon Islands is the only Pacific country that received the award.

I guessing they're afraid of the things that he might say which could probably expose them based on how I'm seeing this. I'm sure the man is quite outspoken with a reputation that precedes himself

Opposition obviously sees nothing wrong with him and wants him back (I'm assuming), but Bhaiyum has no intention of letting Lal into the country at all.

Australia recognizes Lal's achievement, but can't say the same about Fiji.

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HERA LAL.

7/6/2015 04:43:15 pm

Congratulations to Professor Brij Lal. You have done Fiji Proud.

And Mida Raj should investigate the misleading, biased, and inaccurate reporting by the Fiji Sun about Bai receiving TOP awards by UN, when indeed, Bai received none!!!

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rajend naidu

9/6/2015 04:39:15 am

Editor,
Munni Prasad of Vancouver wrote to the Fiji Times ( 10/06 ) to say he is delighted to learn that Professor Brij Lal was awarded the Order of Australia and he hopes Fiji too will honour " her native son ".
That of course is unlikely under the " democratic " government of Frank Bainimarama, which maintains its ban on Prof. Lal from entering the country - a ban that was imposed when Fiji was under the Bainimarama dictatorship.
I suggest Fiji instead honours Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum for building a new Fiji with a new Flag - a country that is now corruption free and no form of bad governance.
A statue honouring Honourable Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum would be a fitting way for the people of Fiji to pay tribute to this great son of Fiji.
A bank account for the statue should be opened and all overseas Fiji people can send their contribution to it.
People in Fiji can give their contribution directly to Aiyaz or his aunty Nur Bano in a brown envelop.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
Sydney

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rajend naidu

10/6/2015 04:13:03 am

Editor,
Here is a letter that is a valuable and indeed indispensable reminder of citizens rights vis a vis State power. It is written by John Widdup under the title Magna Carta in the Canberra Times 10 June.
John write " June makes the 800 the anniversary of the Magna Carta, the ' Great Charter ' that established the rule of law for the English speaking world. It is the foundation of our freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot ( or executive ) - that is , ' freedom under law of the land.
The Magna Carta conceives rights as guarantees against state coercion: No one can put you in prison, or seize your property or mistreat you other than by due process. This vital concept of freedom is worth clinging to in an age that likes to redefine the rights as entitlements ( bestowed by the State )...
We must continue to stand up for our freedom from despots and ensure the executive ... Is not able to take away your freedom without due process via the courts with a right of appeal ".
I should like to add that it has also become very important that the due process system is itself subject to scrutiny under some jurisdictions because there is a tendency for it to be comprised by coming under political sway of the mob in power.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu
Sydney

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"...Secrecy is the keystone of all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy... censorship. When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives." --Robert A. Heinlein, -If This Goes On